Tumblerless safe



Aug. 10, 1948. H. c. WHITTALL 2,446,732

TUMBLERLESS SAFE Filed Dec. 51, 1946 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fl Ei (ELINVENTOR.

HE/hey G. WHITYALL BYWM M A frog/v Y g. 10, 1948- H. c. WHITTALL2,446,732

TUMBLERLESS SAFE Filed Dec. 31, 1946 2 ShetS-Sheet 2 A TT'MNEYS PatentedAug. 10, 1948 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUMBLERLESS SAFE Henry C.Whittall, Oakland, Calif., assignor of twenty-four per cent to Harold G.Geltz, Oakland, and twenty-four per cent to Walter H. Kassebohm andtwenty-four per cent to Thomas H. Harvey, both of Berkeley, Calif.

Application December 31, 1946, Serial No. 719,558

5 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a locking mechanism, and more particularly toa combination safe.

An object of the invention is to provide a combination safe which issubstantially foolproof against unwarranted opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ,tumberless safe of thecombination type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a compact, efficientcombination safe particularly adapted for residential use as a wall orfloor safe.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the drawings forming apart of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in section of the safe embodied in the invention,showing the mechanism in locking position;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the safe;

Figure 3 is a view in section taken along lines 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a view in section taken along lines 4-4 of Figure 3, showingthe mechanism in unlocking position.

Referring to the drawings for more specific details of the invention,the safe is comprised of a cylindrical casing, or safe body, I havingwelded thereto a base plate I2. The casing H) has an innercircumferential locking groove 14 and is provided with an inner shoulderI6 adapted to receive in abutting relation an end plate indicatedgenerally at I8, said end plate being provided on the underside with acentrally located boss 26, six bosses 22 equidistantly spaced.therefrom, and three depending lugs 24 spaced 120 apart. The boss 20has therethrough a double diametral drill hole 26 providing a shoulder28, and the bosses 22 are each provided with a double diametral drillhole 30 providing a shoulder 32. For a purpose hereinafter disclosed,one of the bosses 22 and the axis of the drill hole therethrough islocated 65 from one of the adjacent bosses and axes and 55 from theother adjacent boss and axis, as indicated in Figure 3, the remainingbosses and drill hole axes being mutually spaced 60 apart.

A multi-diametral main spindle 34, having a flange 36 adapted to seat onthe shoulder 28 of the end plate 18, and a centrally disposed drilledhole 38, is provided with an annular groove 40, a conical cam surface42, another annular groove 44, a shoulder 45, a square portion 48, and athreaded end while a multi-diametral spindle 52, having a flange 54adapted to seat on one of the shoulders 32 of the end plate I8, isprovided 2 for each of the drill holes 30, each of said spindles havinga centrally disposed drilled hole 56, a shoulder 58, a square portion60, and a threaded end '62.

The main spindle 34 is provided with a knurled knob 54 having the shankthereof press-fitted into the drilled hole 38, said knob having anindicating arrow 66 inscribed in the upper surface thereof, said arrowbeing adapted upon the rotation Of the knob to orient said knob inrelation to indicia 68 inscribed in the surface of the end plate H3. Thesmaller spindles '52 are each provided with a knurled knob 10 having theshank thereof press fitted into a drilled hole 55, said knobs having anidentifying numeral inscribed in the upper surface thereof, as shown inFigure 2, together with an indicating arrow I 2, said arrow beingadapted upon the rotation of a knob to orient said knob in relation toindicia l4 inscribed in the surface of the end plate Itcircumferentially adjacent the drilled holes 56.

A pair of matching locking plates t6, havin a centrally disposed squareaperture are secured on the square portion 48 of the main spindle 3i inabutting relation to the shoulder 46 of said spindle by a retainingplate i8 threaded on the end 50 of the spindle, said retaining platehaving wrench engaging apertures 80. The plates are cutaway atpredetermined peripheral locations to provide six teeth 82, said teethbeing equidistantly spaced apart with the exception that one of saidteeth is located 65 from the adjacent tooth at one side thereof and 55from the adjacent tooth at the opposite side thereof, as indicated inFigure 3, the angular spacing of said teeth corresponding to theaforedescribed angular spacing of the bosses 22 and the axes of theholes 55 therethrough. The retaining plate I8 serves to reinforce thelocking plates 16 which are provided in duplicate for a similarreinforcing purpose.

A plurality of identical locking plates 84 and a single combinationlocking plate 86, each having a centrally disposed square aperture, aresecured on the square portion of each of the spindles 52 by a lockwasher 88 and a nut 99. The combination locking plate 86 has eightidentical slots 92 equally spaced apart in the periphery thereof, saidslots being adapted to selectively receivethe teeth 82 of the lockingplates 16. Each of the locking plates 84 has a single slot 94, saidslots being identical to each other and to the slots in plate 85, andbeing arranged in alignment with each other and with one of the slots 92in plate 86.

Three drill holes 96 spaced apart are, pro

greater length than the distance between theperiphery of the drilledhole 26 and the outer surface of the lugs 24. Each bolt I has atransverse drilled hole therethrough in which a cotter ll) pin I04 isinserted to inhibit movement of'a washer I05, sleeved on the bolt inabutting relation to;

4 combination of the safe may be varied at will by the user to any of65,536 combinations, only one of which will be an unlocking combinationat any one time.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described,butit is understood that this embodiment is subject to modificationwithin the spirit of the invention and the scope said cotter pin, underthe action of a"coil spring- Q prising allocking groove in the casing, acentrally I08 held in compression betweenthe' washer and a lug 24 of theend plate.

I00 is secured to the lugs 24 by machine screws A cover I I 0 havingthree notches" cut'therein'to' allow for the passage therethrough'of thebolts a boltsabutting said spindle and the outer ends of When themechanism is in the locking position of Figure 1, the end plate I8 issecured to the easing ID by the bolts I00 which extend into tlielockinggroove I4 and are held in said positionby the spindle 34 against theretractile action of springs I08. The spindle 34 is held against upwardmovement, since theteeth 82 of 'the'locking plates IS are out ofregistry with the slots 92 and 94 of the plates 84and 86 carried by thespindles 52, and the plates I6 are, therefore, obstructed by the plates84 and 06.-

Upon rotating the knob 640:" the main spindle and the knobs I0 of thesmaller spindles to bring indicating arrows 66 and-IZinto alignment;respectively, with a predetermined-unit-of the indicia 68 and 14', theplates 16 and the plates 84 and 06 may be thus rotated to bring theteeth 82 into alignment with the slots 92 and 94 of the plates 84 and85. The knob 64'may then-be lifted to move the spindle'34 outwardly'ofthe end plate I8 to move the plates 16 upwardly into the position ofFigure 4, thus allowing the bolts I00 to be retracted from the lockinggroove I 4"as the conical ends of the bolts movealon'gthe cammed surface42 of the spindle 34 under the action of the springs I08. The end plateI8 may then be lifted free of the casing I0.

To restore the mechanism to the locking position of Figure 1, the endplate is replaced on the shoulder I6-of the casing, and the spindle 34is' depressed to force the conical ends of the bolts I00 to move fromthe annular groove 44'; along the cammed surface 42, and into theannular groove 4% of the spindle, thus extending the opposite ends ofthe bolts into the locking groove I45 The spindles 64 and are thenhaphazardly rotated-to bring the teeth of the locking plates 16' out'-of' alignment with the slots of the smaller locking plates.

Due to the non-uniform spacing of the-teeth 32 of the plates I6, andthecorrespon'dingspac ing of the spindles '52 and the lockihgplatescarried'thereby, there is but one position of'the knob" 04' in which theteeth 82 will bein unlocking alignment with the-slots of the smallerlockingplates. Thus, with the embodiment of the inven-- tion shown inthe drawing, there is one combinative setting of the knobs B4"and l0,out of apossible 6,291,456 such settings, which will'aifectan' unlockingof the safe. V

Since the orientation of the'locking'plates 16 on the square portion 48of the spindle 34 maybe changed to 'anyof fourpositions, andthe-orientation of the plates 84 on'th'e square portions B'O'of spindles52 may be changedto a like number of positions, it is apparent that thesingle unlocking disposed rotatable and slidable spindle carried by theend plate, a plurality of slidable bolts carrle'dby thelendplate, theinner ends of said saidbolts" being adapted to extend within the lockinggroove to secure the end plate to the casing, spring means to urge saidbolts inwardly toward said spindle, means operableupona predeterminedrotational orientation of said spindle to allow said spindle to be movedoutwardly of said end plate, and a cam'surface on said spindle adaptedto allow an'in'ward movement of said bolts to free the ends thereoffromsaid-locking groove upon the outward movement of said spindle.

2. A safe comprising a casing, an end plate, and a locking mechanism,said mechanism com-'- prising a locking groove'in the casing; acentrally disposed rotatable and slidable spindle carried by the endplate, a plurality ofslid'able bolts carried by the end plate, the innerends of said bolts abutting said spindle andthe outer ends of saidboltsbeing adapted to extend' within the tially obstructing the pathofmovement of'the toothed plate, means to rotationally orientate all ofthe spindles to align the slots of the obstructing plates with theteethof the centrally located plate to allow an outward-movement of thecentral spindle, and a cam surface on said latter spindle to allowtheretraction of the bolts from the locking groove upon'said'movement ofsaid spindle. I I

3. A safe comprising a casing, an end plate, and a locking mechanism,said mechanism-corn prising a locking groove in the casing, a centrallydisposed rotatable and slidable spindle carried by; the "end-plate, aplurality of slidablebolts carried'by theend plate, the inner endsofsaid'bolts abutting said spindleand the outer'ends of said bolts beingadapted'to extendyvithizi the locking groove to securethe end platetoth'e' casing, spring means to urge said bolts inwardly toward saidspindle, a circular plate secured-to the lower endrof said spindle,said" plate. being peripherally'cut awayto provide" a plurality of teethangularly spaced from each other'in nonuniformrelation;apluralit'yof'rotatable spindles carried by the end plate and radiallydisposed from thecentra'l spindle, said spindles being angularlyspacedifromeach other in'identical nonuniformrelation astheteeth ofthespindleplate;

5 at least one circular plate secured to the lower end of each radiallydisposed spindle, said plates being of equal size and each having aplurality of peripherally spaced slots complementary in form and size tothe teeth of the central spindle plate, said radially disposed spindleplates being adapted to prevent the outward sliding movement of thecentral spindle by partially obstructin the path of movement of thetoothed plate, means to rotationally orientate all of the spindles toalign the slots of the obstructing plates with the teeth of thecentrally located plate to allow an outward movement of the centralspindle, and a cam surface on said latter spindle to allow theretraction of the bolts from the locking groove upon said movement ofsaid spindle.

4. A safe as defined in claim 2 wherein each of the radially disposedspindles has secured thereon another plate of equal size, saidadditional plate being located above the plurally slotted plate andhaving a single peripheral slot in HENRY C. WHITTALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 941,128 Campbell Nov. 23, 1909961,088 Reynolds June 7, 1910 1,850,639 Sioberg Mar. 22, 1932

